CHECHNYA LINKS LIBRARY

The Week in Brief: Nov 27 - Dec 3, 2000

Heavy Russian armoured vehicles flattened counters and kiosks in Grozny central market, a key source of food and supplies in the destroyed Chechen capital, allegedly to prevent rebels from further attacks on Russian servicemen.

A two-day summit of the OSCE took place in Vienna. The head of the OSCE security body expressed regret that Russia has not yet agreed to allow its workers back into Chechnya, despite promises made at a summit in Istanbul a year ago.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has appointed Vladimir Yelagin, a former governor of the Orenburg Region in the Southern Urals into a newly created post of a minister without portfolio in charge of social and economic development of the Chechen Republic.

Russian border guards said they were ready to start imposing a visa regime at the Russian-Georgian border beginning December 5.

Foreign ministers from the 55-nation OSCE failed to agree on a final declaration, allegedly because of Russia’s objections against Chechnya-related parts in the proposed declaration.

Wed, Nov 29

President Vladimir Putin acted to put himself and future Russian presidents above the law, gaining parliamentary backing for a bill securing lifelong personal imunity from prosecution for anything he does while in office. The bill was given a first reading by a majority of 282 to 130 and needs two more readings to become a law.

Russian tycoon Boris Berezovsky said he is sorry about his previous support of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who now disfavours him. Berezovsky said he spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on Putin's presidential campaign and accused Putin of causing him great damage, including economic, and the use of KGB methods.

According to Chechen religious leader Mufty Shamayev, the Council of Elders, comprised of the most respected older men from all Chechen tribes, has been formed in Chechnya.

Starting today, Chechen refugees in Ingushetia are again without hot meals and bread, while food suppliers are demanding 74.5 million rubles in debt payments.

Former vice-premier and minister of state security, Turpal Ali Atgeryev, has allegedly been in the Lefortovo prison in Moscow since late October -- Vremya Novostey

The Audit Chamber of Russia reported that 65 million roubles (over 2 million $) of budget funds allotted to the reconstruction of Chechnya’s economy were misused. The head of the Chamber, Sergey Stepashin, sent materials on the people suspect of the theft to the general prosecutor's office.

Sat, Dec 2

Russia’s gas and electricity supplies to Georgia's capital Tbilisi were cut off, apparently due to debt disputes, leaving the city of 1.2 million inhabitants dark and without heat for several hours.

No major events.

Compiled by Prague Watchdog